9 ideas to solve short-term cashflow headaches as a gym operator

Whether you’re running an independent gym or a nationwide chain of clubs, at some point in time you’re likely to need to boost cashflow fast. Read on for 9 ideas to help you boost short-term cashflow for your fitness business.

Running a gym business is expensive. 90% of UK gym operators report that operating costs have increased year-on-year*. So, now more than ever gym owners and operators are feeling the pinch.

Of course, you want to keep investing in your fitness business. But to do that, you need a healthy cashflow. Sometimes, you just need to bring in some extra cash as quickly as possible. 

Managing cashflow is always a challenge for any business. Fortunately, there are several ways you can boost your short-term cashflow.

Let’s get stuck in!

25 Ways To Boost Cashflow & Save Money

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1. Upsell bolt-ons paid on a recurring basis

Let members boost their monthly membership for an enhanced experience by offering attractive bolt-ons. And bring in extra recurring revenue each month.

Here are some bolt-on ideas to inspire you:

Your gym management software should make it easy to set-up, manage, and sell bolt-ons.

Pleasing perks that integrate with your software

Tip

Speak to your software partner to find out how you can create chargeable bolt-ons to boost your member experience. For example, Xplor Gym has integrations with partners like Club Perks and MyVitale. Selling Club Perks as a bolt-on will give members access to a wide range of discounts from popular brands. And offering MyVitale as a bolt-on will give your members accessed to personalised training and nutrition plans. Both can be embedded within your existing app.

2. Advertise annual memberships to encourage upfront payments

The Challenges Of Running A Gym Research* found that 72% of UK gym operators surveyed offer annual paid-in-full memberships.

This type of membership can help you bring in more revenue without the need to wait for monthly instalments. You’ll minimise risk of losing potential revenue if a member cancels their payment during their membership period.

Typically, this type of membership is offered at a discount (e.g. 12 months for the price of 10) and attracts members who prefer to pay upfront for a bargain.

These members will be able to use their membership for the next year. So, account for this in your spending.

Treat these paid-in-full members like you would with those who pay monthly. Focus on keeping them engaged and visiting regularly. And be ready to encourage them to renew as the membership period comes to an end. 

3. Promote day/week passes

People staying nearby for work or leisure. Those curious to try your club without committing. Gymgoers looking to add a little variety to their routine.

Offering paid day or week passes can help you attract ad hoc income from a wide variety of visitors. Make these available to buy online and restrict access based on the period of the pass.

And make sure you follow up with those people who’ve purchased passes. Ask for feedback or get them to leave a Google review. Plus, encourage them to join as a full paying member!

4. Put on ticketed events & workshops

Running ticketed events and workshops on an ad-hoc and regular basis is another way to bring extra revenue into your business – boosting cashflow.

Find options that complement what you have to offer. Lean into your niche to bring in fans from further afield. Partner with subject matter experts to provide education that benefits the wider community.

Ideas include:

13 fitness event ideas to boost business

Go deeper

Learn the basics of event planning and get ideas for your next event.

Read now➡️

5. Optimise your payment collection processes

88% of UK gym operators who offer memberships paid on a recurring basis use Direct Debits*. Many face challenges that without the right approaches in place can reduce the amount of revenue coming into your business.

Choosing the right gym management partner can help you find ways to optimise your approach to payment collections. So, increasing collection success rates to maximise revenue coming into your business.

Look for:

Direct Debits for gyms

Go deeper

Direct Debits are the go-to membership payment method for gyms and fitness clubs. Find out everything you need to know about this recurring payment method.

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6. Collect pro-rata payments for new members

When a new member joins, there’s often a wait before their first payment will be collected. If access is granted right away, you could be offering your services for free for a period.

Resolve this, and avoid lost revenue, by using pro-rata payments. This will allow you to collect payment for that first period before a payment is taken.

There are some typical ways to do this:

7. Don’t let non-payers use the gym for free

If members who haven’t paid can still use their membership, you’re missing out on revenue.

By selecting an all-in-one gym management system with embedded payments and integrated access control you can automatically restrict access for non-payers.

And when the member makes a catch-up payment, access should be automatically granted without delay. This also makes it possible to let members access your facilities as soon as they sign up.

8. Cut unnecessary spend

Review all the expenses your business incurs on a regular basis. Look for items that are not being used or not performing as well as you’d like.

For example:

If you’re paying for member-facing items and services, are these contributing to member engagement to positively impact retention? Rethink anything that’s not performing for you

Boost profitability

Go deeper

Find out what it takes to build a profitable gym business and get ideas to help you become more profitable.

Get stuck in!

9. Be energy efficient

Finally, find ways to be more energy efficient. Although some upfront investment may be needed, you’ll see the savings in the long run. And you’ll be doing your bit to combat climate change.

Ideas include:

The wrap up…

There are lots of different ways to increase your cashflow. Some are quick and simple. Whereas others might need you and your team to be a little more creative.

Perhaps most importantly, a healthy cashflow relies on having the right processes and the right software in place. There’s so much involved with running a successful gym business.

Staying on top of and completing daily tasks can become an overwhelming drain on your resources. The right technology can make gym management more automated than ever:

All this means you’ll spend less paying people to complete time-consuming, tedious tasks. Giving you the opportunity to invest this time back into rewarding and revenue-generating tasks.

Xplor Gym can help. Request a demo to see what we can do for your business.

For more cashflow boosting ideas, download the 25 Ways To Boost Cashflow & Save Money eBook.

*The Challenges Of Running A Gym Research was conducted by Xplor Gym via an online survey. The survey took place between 28 February and 21 March 2025. It was completed by 60 respondents from privately owned gym operators in the UK.